Righteous Simeon and Prophetess Anna – Witnesses to Our Salvation

It is the tradition of the Holy Church to commemorate after great feasts the saints who had a part in them. On the day following the Meeting of our Lord, we remember two people who knew about the coming of the Saviour and spent many years waiting…

The Chrysanthemum and the Cross: St. Nicholai of Japan

"After the emperor, no one was better known throughout Japan than him. In the capital, one did not need to ask where the Russian Orthodox Mission was; it was enough to say the name 'Nicholai'..."

Saint Tryphon of Lampascus, Martyr and Divine Healer

For healing his daughter, Emperor Gordias rewarded Tryphon with lavish gifts, which he gave away to the poor on his way home. He did not preach Christ, but news of his miraculous healings in His name was spreading.

Saints Cyrus and John, Healers of the Body and the Soul

Cyrus came from Alexandria. He was renowned for his deep knowledge of medicine. Saint John had made a successful career in the Roman army. The Roman Emperor knew him by name.

Priest Martyr Hyppolitus, a Brilliant Theologian and Martyr for God

The holy Priest Martyr Hyppolitus is known as an eloquent preacher, theologian and hymnographer. Yet the Church did not glorify him as a theologian but as a martyr.

Saint Ignatius, Sharing in the Ways of the Apostles

According to tradition, Saint Ignatius was named “God-bearer” because Jesus held him in His arms as He was explaining humility to His Apostles.

Saint Ephraim the Syrian, a Teacher of Repentance

He wrote multiple instructions to monks in repentance, and the Rule of the Russian Orthodox Church some of them to be read during the Great Lent.

Saint John Chrysostom, Revealing to Us the Heights of Humility

He opposed the abuse by the rich of their wealth, and had a great following among the people, but also attracted considerable opposition from the higher ranking Byzantines and suffered many years of persecution and death in exile.

St. Xenophon of Constantinople – a Story of Separation and Reunion

Xenophon and Mary, a pious Christian family, wished to give their sons a good education, they sent them to Beirut, but the boat on which they were sailing was shipwrecked. Yet they never lost hope and maintained unyielding faith in God's providence.

Saint Gregory the Theologian: Unravelling the Webs of the Orators

His teachings and his own life supported the unity of the Church at a time when it was ravaged by influential and powerful heresies.

Saint Clement of Ancyra, an Honoured Branch of the Vine of Christ

Saint Clement dedicated himself to service at church. He served as a reader, then a deacon. He received ordination as a priest at eighteen, and two years later he became bishop.

Apostle Timothy, Companion of Paul in His Travels

The Holy Disciple Timothy received baptism from the Holy Apostle Paul. Since then, Apostle Paul has held his companionship in high regard.

Saint Maximus the Confessor, Lover of the Trinity and the Faith

One of the best-educated people of his time, a high-ranking civil servant in good standing and with brilliant career prospects, he renounced a life of luxury and worldly dignity to uphold the truth of God.

Saint Euthymios, the Light of Virtue in a Wilderness

He was a monk renowned for his asceticism and strong faith, bringing the truth of the Christian faith to nonbelievers and converting them to Christ by his example of a virtuous life.

Monk Macarius the Great of Egypt, a Citizen of the Desert

Advising a disciple on the pursuit of this goal he said: "If slander is like praise for you, poverty like riches, insufficiency like abundance, then you shall not perish."

Athanasius and Cyril, Great Hierarchs of True Piety

Saints Athanasius and Cyril were the archbishops of Alexandria and steadfast defenders of the purity of the Christian faith against the most influential heresies of their times. They left behind a host of apologetic works that are still studied…

Saint Anthony, a fighter with the enemy within

He taught that fighting the devil to the end is a duty of every Christian. "Whoever has not experienced temptation cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Precious Chains of Apostle Peter – a Relic of the Church

In memory of this miracle, Christians have venerated the shackles equally with the relics of the Holy Apostles. At first, the relics remained in Jerusalem and produced multiple healings in those who approached them with faith.

Venerable John Calabytes: Overcoming the Attractions of the World

His life is a moving and instructive story of an inner struggle between one’s duty to the Lord and Heaven and the attraction of earthly joys and affections.

Saint Nina, Enlightener of Georgia

Through her Christian virtues and ascetic life, she was gifted with the power to work wonders, through which many people came to Christ voluntarily.